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Animators


Overview

Introduction

Animators are artists who design the moving characters that appear in movies, videos, television shows, commercials, Web sites, and in other digital media. They are also known as digital animators and motion cartoonists. There are 74,000 multimedia artists and animators employed in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Quick Facts


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Median Salary

$72,520

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Employment Prospects

Good

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Minimum Education Level

Apprenticeship
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Experience

Internship


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Skills

Computer
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Personality Traits

Artistic
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Earnings

According to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), multimedia artists and animators earned median annual salaries of $72,520 in May 2018. Salaries ranged from less than $40,870 to $124,310 or more. The DOL reports the following median annual earnings for multimedia artists and animators by the top five employers: software publishers, $82,360; motion picture and video industries, $77,860; computer...

Work Environment

Most animators work in big cities where movie and television studios, animation studios, software developers, and video game design firms are located. They generally work in comfortable environments with good lighting and the latest computer technology. Staff animators work a regular 40-hour workweek but may occasionally be expected to work evenings and weekends to meet deadlines. Freelance ani...

Outlook

Employment for animators and multimedia artists is expected to grow about as fast the average for all careers through 2028, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, due in part to companies sending work to animators overseas. The growing trend of sophisticated special effects in motion pictures should create opportunities at industry effects houses such as Sony Pictures Imageworks, DreamQuest...